The Best Ways To Stay Healthy During Summer

Summer is certainly an enjoyable season, but the hot weather and bright sunshine pose some serious health challenges. Here are some tips to help you stay healthy this summer. 

Heat-related deaths are a major concern during the summer. Plan ahead to stay cool before the dog day’s of summer begin. If you like to exercise outdoors, try working out in the early morning or early evening, when the sun’s rays are less intense. You might also consider finding a climate controlled environment for your walk. Some walking groups meet at shopping malls. At the mall, you can stay active while window shopping. During a heat wave, you should take extra precautions. If you do not have an air conditioning unit, you could check to see if your community offers a cooling center. Some local organizations will also provide fans to help beat the heat. During periods of excessive heat, make sure you check on relatives and friends to make sure they fine. You should also learn the warning signs of heat stroke or heat exhaustion. These include:

• Headache
• High Fever 
• Unusual mood or behavior 
• Nausea and vomiting 
• Excessive sweating 
• Elevated heart rate
• Panting 
• Flushed skin 

If you or a loved one shows sign of heat stroke, seek medical attention immediately.

This tip is important. Sunscreen, applied correctly and regularly, helps protect you from the sun’s bright rays. Even one blistering sunburn can increase your risks for certain kinds of skin cancers, so make sure you apply sunscreen every day. A person can get a sunburn even on a cloudy day, so it is crucial that you make sunscreen use a daily habit.

If it is just too hot for most outdoor exercises, why not visit your local pool? Swimming is an activity that can be enjoyed at any age and any fitness level. Many community pools also offer fitness classes, or you can choose to swim laps on your own. Swimming and water aerobics are enjoyable activities that can also be very beneficial to your overall health. Many people find that regular swimming helps with joint soreness and can even help increase their mobility.

Although it can be tempting to stay cool by eating delicious ice cream, there are healthier choices if you are concerned about calories. A bowl of fruit is a guilt-free indulgence. Frozen juice bars are another acceptable option, as long as you select a kind that is made with real fruit juice and no additional sugar. If you just cannot ignore your ice cream craving, however, try frozen yogurt.

During the hot summer months, hydration is crucial. However, you should avoid sugary sodas or other calorie-dense drinks. You can avoid consuming extra empty calories by making easy substitutions. For example, instead of soda, you might try calorie-free seltzer water. Some brands do contain sodium, so make sure you read the labels carefully if you need to avoid consuming much salt. Sweet iced tea is certainly tasty, but it often contains high amounts of sugar. You can better control how much sugar you are ingesting by ordering unsweetened tea and adding your own sweetener. Over time, you might even come to prefer the taste of the unsweetened version.

In the summer, fresh and healthy fruits and vegetables are abundant and packed with vitamins and minerals. Enjoy them while they are at the peak of ripeness. A walk around the farmer’s market can be a wonderful way to ensure that you are getting enough activity and eating well.

VNA & Hospice is dedicated to providing the highest quality healthcare to residents of the Central Coast and Monterey County. Registered nurses and skilled staff members provide many services, including senior home care, hospice health care, palliative care, orthopedic rehabilitation, and more.